Our People

At No.18 we are committed to our clients by providing both expert advocacy and advice. We provide our clients with a personal, tailored service; we are fair, flexible and transparent on fees and we look to build a pro-active partnership with our professional and lay clients.

No.18 Direct

Until the more recent Government changes, it was always necessary for work to be referred to a barrister through a solicitor. It is now possible for certain organisations, companies, firms or members of the public to come directly to a barrister for specialist advice and/or representation on a range of personal or business matters; where the investigation and management of the case can be conducted without a solicitor.

For Advice For Representation For Resolution

Ashley Ailes

What others say

Ash is a very conscientious and careful barrister who has a particular knack of dealing with my more difficult clients. He has brought in some brilliant and often unexpected results and has been genuinely kind to my young clients who are faced with losing their children into the care system.

Paul Tritschler - Richard Griffiths & Co

Barrister profile

Cases of note

Ashley Ailes was called in 1975, after researching for a Master’s degree in law, and has enjoyed nearly 40 years continuous practice at the Bar on the Western Circuit. He has enormous experience over a broad range of work in family, civil and crime at all levels. Ashley looks at the practicalities of a case, and engages well with the lay client, while giving a frank appraisal of the merits.

Expertise

Family: Care & Children

Contact and Residence disputes under the Children Act 1989

Ashley undertakes the full range of private children contact disputes, together with financial provision under Schedule 1 of the Children Act, private school fees and has some experience of obtaining orders in relation to child abduction to Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Public Law / Care and Adoption Proceedings

Ashley has vast expertise in acting in all types public care proceedings whether for the Local Authority, Guardian or parents in the High Court, County Court and FPC levels. He has appeared of shaken baby cases, spiral fracture limb cases and other cases, where non-accidental injury is alleged. He has also dealt with Factitious Disorder by Proxy (Formerly Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy), contested incest and other sexual abuse, including cross examination of adolescents by video link, acting for parents who lack capacity, or have learning disabilities, and a case where he represented a father who murdered the mother. He appeared for the Mother at first instance and in the court of Appeal in Re G,(2001), the frequently cited case on threshold.

Family: Finance

Divorce & Separation

Ashley 40 years of experience means he appears in mid-to-high-end financial provision, and Cohabitation cases under TOLATA. He has experience in these cases, dealing with claims against family companies, Xhydias agreements, relatives and mortgagees as interveners with third party claims to the matrimonial home, the effect of child sexual abuse and other conduct on financial provision applications, property in bigamous marriages, the effect of post-decree reconciliations (see his reported case of Hill v Hill) and allegedly insolvent husbands and wives.

Ashley has appeared on defended divorces and nullity petitions and has some experience of Islamic marriages in Pakistan. He is also qualified for Family mediation.

Cohabitation including Trusts of Land & Appointment of Trustees Act 1996

Ashley has the full range of experience and expertise in all manner of disputes concerning Trusts of Land work: under the Trusts of Land Act 1996,addressing express, resulting or constructive trusts and extending to coextensive issues such as proprietary estoppel, misrepresentation and undue influence.

Inheritance Act claims

Trusts and Trustees

Ashley has the full range of experience and expertise in all manner of disputes concerning Trusts of Land work: under the Trusts of Land Act 1996,addressing express, resulting or constructive trusts and extending to coextensive issues such as proprietary estoppel, misrepresentation and undue influence.

Wills, Probate and the Administration of Estates

Ashley advises and represents parties in contested and uncontentious probate actions, including deeds of variation, allegations of lack of testamentary incapacity, undue influence and removing or reconciling executors and trustees who are implacably hostile to each other.

Commercial Chancery

Contractual disputes

Over his 40 years of practice Ashley has unparalleled experience in chambers in relation to claims in contract & tort includes a wide variety of contractual disputes, including sale of companies and "phoenix companies", sale of horses, yachts and other boats, business franchise agreement disputes, contracts for the provision of private education and spoilt holiday claims.

Ashley has won a number of contested trials (see, for instance the reported case of Street v Coombes, below).

Professional Negligence

Ashley regularly advises in professional negligence, and has dealt with with disputes involving accountants, barristers, brokers, solicitors, surveyors and valuers. Ashley Not only has a thorough knowledge of the underlying field of practice but also can advise on strategy.

Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Ashley’s has a wealth of experience when it comes to Personal Injuries claims, (both in England & Wales and also many cases referred by a number of advocates on the Isle of Man), both in respect of industrial accidents and road traffic cases, including Fatal Accidents Act cases, and he has appeared at coroners inquests both with and without a jury, and appeared before the CICA.

He has experience with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related claims for builders and dockyard workers. He advises on liability and quantum under the Occupiers Liability Act.

In Silverton v Goodall & Motor Insurers Bureau, he appeared in the Court of Appeal, where the case was reported on the issue of whether the MIB agreement was compatible with the relevant European Directive. He advises in tripping and slipping claims both on the highway and in shops offices etc.

Property

Real property

Ashley’s land law experience cover the broad range of disputes ; these have included boundary disputes, in the County Court and before the Land Registry Adjudicator, enforcement of restrictive covenants, rights of way rights to light, defective registered titles and flying freeholds.

Landlord and tenant

Ashley has a Broad range of experience in Landlord & Tenant, whether Residential or Commercial disputes, though has particular expertise in relation to business tenancies. He has dealt obscure claims involving caravan site agreements and possession claims in relation to houseboats.

Trusts of land and proprietary estoppel

Ashley has the full range of experience and expertise in all manner of disputes concerning Trusts of Land work: under the Trusts of Land Act 1996,addressing express, resulting or constructive trusts and extending to coextensive issues such as proprietary estoppel, misrepresentation and undue influence.

No 18 Resolution

Cases of note

R v Wood [2011] EWCA Crim 1854 Court of Appeal, Defendant with multiple paralysis, recalled on life sentence for previous murder following conviction for fraud. Effect of time in custody on revocation of licence, and totality of sentence.